Recently I was giving a presentation to several high school art classes. I found myself explaining what my large flower paintings are really about in this way; I am not so interested in flowers as my subject, but as a vehicle for shapes, positive and negative. I showed this painting, which is 5 feet by 4 feet and dominates a wall.
It is not about the lilies, it is about this; those lovely shapes and colors that the tangle of the subject matter allows me to play with.
All those fine negative spaces to balance and contrast.
And these shapes, playing around with almost geometric curves and straight lines.
I find that the most fascinating part of my work.
